Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
POWs to Be Honored in Ceremony; Talks With North Korea Uncertain
Aired April 18, 2003 - 15:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: We're going to go to Lithia Springs, Georgia now. You're looking at Ronald Young Sr., father of one of the former POWs, who is soon to be on U.S. soil. Let's listen in to Ron Young and see what he is saying to us.
RONALD YOUNG SR., FATHER OF FORMER POW: He allowed us to take one of their flights out to Fort Hood, Texas. And, well, actually, to Dallas, Texas and then to Killeen, Texas, where Fort Hood is located. So I guess that's what our itinerary is so far.
We'll be able to meet with him. I thought we're supposed to get out there before his plane comes in. Then they bring him off his flight and we'll get to see him when he comes in and they're going to have some kind of a ceremony for them. But I'm not exactly sure whether it's today or tomorrow night, I mean, or Sunday. So, you know, we're still waiting to find out that.
SUSAN ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, how -- you've been excited for weeks, especially with the news that he was coming home. Now, finally, we have some details what's going through everyone's mind.
YOUNG: Everybody is just really excited about seeing him. At this point, we just want to see him and be able talk with him on a one-to-one basis and see just how he really is doing and how everything is for him. We're more concerned with, you know, what he's been through and what his mental well-being is right now and his health and all that than anything else.
I think he's doing good. And I believe he's strong enough that he's all right. I don't believe -- the days, they weren't that long -- I mean, many days, but you know, he went through some tough times. We just want to make sure he's OK from all that.
CANDIOTTI: Do you know whether -- how many POWs will be there at this meet and greet and ceremony?
YOUNG: No, ma'am but I assume, the way they're telling me, I assume that all of them will be there. You know, I could be wrong. I'm just, you know, shooting from the hip right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from the family, Mr. Young?
YOUNG: The whole family's going, all his brothers and sisters and the spouses are going. No little children, no babies, thank goodness. But I shouldn't say that. I love my grandchildren, I wouldn't take anything from them but they're a little tough when you get them all in a compact area.
CANDIOTTI: Along with the family meeting him, do you expect any other dignitaries to be at the reception, as well?
YOUNG: They haven't told me about any dignitaries being there, other than the fact that they're going to have a -- some kind of a little thing when they get off the plane. A general is supposed to talk to them. And then, afterwards, I think they're going to have some kind of a ceremony. I'm not even sure. They have not detailed any of that to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know if you'll have any quality alone time alone, time with your son?
YOUNG: Yes, we will. After the -- I understand that after we have the ceremony and they present whatever awards they're going to present or whatever they're going to do -- I'm not exactly sure what's going to take place here, but after they get through with it, we're supposed to spend time with him at Fort Hood, at some kind of locations they have within the fort area itself.
CANDIOTTI: Do you know how much time you'll be able to spend with him exactly and then coming home?
YOUNG: I don't know about him coming home. Nobody's ever told us whether he's coming home with us whether they're going to keep him awhile and send him home later. I just don't have any idea right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't know how long you'll be at Fort Hood?
YOUNG: No, I don't.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't have any return plans?
YOUNG: Don't have anything. It's kind of up in the air right now. Wes can tell you a little bit about the plans that we have, the itinerary that he has once he comes home, if you'd like to talk to him right now. He'd probably answer some of those questions for you, as best we can, without, you know, the detailed information that we need from the Army.
CANDIOTTI: Can we ask a couple of catch-up questions first...
YOUNG: Sure.
CANDIOTTI: ... because a couple things happened since the last time we spoke.
First thing was, we had an opportunity to see your son arrive in Germany at the air base...
YOUNG: Right.
CANDIOTTI: ... and walk to that bus along with all the other POWs and other casualties. Even saw his guitar brought onto the bus. YOUNG: I don't see how he got that guitar. I know he left -- I thought he left that behind with him in Kuwait, whenever they was, you know, put into operations, but apparently, they got it to him somehow. That was remarkable to me, seeing somebody carry that guitar out of there. He's kind of -- he's got a close relationship with the guitar, even if other people don't like him to have it.
CANDIOTTI: Self-taught, I understand?
YOUNG: Yes, ma'am, self-taught. He taught himself to play the guitar and play the piano and he taught himself, when he was in high school, to paint. He got things from the library down there that taught watercolor painting and oil painting and he did a few things that turned out fairly well.
CANDIOTTI: And also, since we last visited with you, we had an opportunity to learn more details about how he was able -- how he was rescued along with the others. We learned among other things, that his fellow pilot, David Williams, stuck his head out the window of a building and said, "I'm an American."
This, with some other things leading up to that point. What have you learned about that and what do you think about that?
YOUNG: Well, I learned that it was kind of a, maybe a fluke situation, where they were looking for them, probably had been looking for them all along, but the -- I don't think they really had any detailed information as to where they were.
And then they had an Iraqi informant come out, I don't know whether he's civilian or with the military there, but they came out and told him that they had American prisoners there.
From what I understand, everybody that held them as prisoners, they got shifted around from one place to another and everybody that held them really didn't want to hold them, because they was afraid of the repercussions from the Americans when they found them. They were kind of worried about that.
They didn't know what kind of treatment that they'd receive when they found they had American POWs so they were afraid to turn them over yet, so everybody tried to get rid of them to somebody else. And then, at last, you know, we had somebody that came out and detailed.
But he said the treatment came better to him as time went on. He was treated very harshly at first. But then, later on, as he was with other elements, they treated him fairly well.
O'BRIEN: All right. We have been listening to Ronald Young Sr., from Lithia Springs, Georgia. You also heard Susan Candiotti, our correspondent there on the scene. Anxiously anticipating the return of his son, Ronald Young Jr., Apache helicopter pilot, who was a prisoner of war, is now a free person, is headed back toward Texas, carrying a six-string, no doubt singing a probably happy tune for the remainder of the POWs in that group. Ronald Young Sr. didn't know much about dignitaries that are going to be in Texas. But we do, and Kyra will take it way from there.
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: That's the keyword, dignitaries, will they be there or will they...?
O'BRIEN: With a capital "D."
PHILLIPS: We're going to go to Suzanne Malveaux. She live with the latest on that from Crawford, Texas.
What do you know, Suzanne. Could there possibly be a special appearance along with these POWs?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX: Well, you never know. It's always possible. What we have been told by a White House spokeswoman months ago is that the president is scheduled to go to Fort Hood, Texas, on Sunday. He's going to be attending a church service there.
We don't know whether or not he's going to be visiting with the POWs, but we have to tell you that it was in January, the last time that he went, that he visited with the soldiers, with the troops. He had lunch with them. He made remarks about the status of the situation in Iraq.
So we'll just all kind of have to wait and see on that, but no official word from the White House on whether or not he's going to see those soldiers.
We have also been told, as well, there's reaction coming from the White House now on developments out of North Korea, some inflammatory remarks that were made that it's taking just one step closer to developing its nuclear weapons program.
As you know, talks scheduled between North Korea, China and U.S. officials just next week. Well, those talks may be in jeopardy because of some of those remarks. A White House spokesman, Claire Buchanan saying that they are consulting now with their allies -- that would be South Korea, Japan and China -- to see what to do next. But they will make some sort of decision on whether those talks will move forward.
But it was earlier today that a senior administration official told CNN that it was insulting, that they felt that perhaps this was South Korea's chance to try to negotiate to get something out of these talks. This is something the administration, of course, has put in a lot of political capital and China has come around that, saying yes, it would go ahead and be a participant in these talks.
For a long time South Korea was demanding that it have one on one discussions with the Bush administration. Well, the president and aides refusing to do that. They say this is a problem, of course, with South Korea and the whole region, not just with the United States. And moving forward with developing its nuclear weapons program. So we'll have to see how that develops, as well, over the weekend -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. It's going to be a busy weekend. Suzanne Malveaux, live in Crawford, Texas, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Uncertain>
Aired April 18, 2003 - 15:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: We're going to go to Lithia Springs, Georgia now. You're looking at Ronald Young Sr., father of one of the former POWs, who is soon to be on U.S. soil. Let's listen in to Ron Young and see what he is saying to us.
RONALD YOUNG SR., FATHER OF FORMER POW: He allowed us to take one of their flights out to Fort Hood, Texas. And, well, actually, to Dallas, Texas and then to Killeen, Texas, where Fort Hood is located. So I guess that's what our itinerary is so far.
We'll be able to meet with him. I thought we're supposed to get out there before his plane comes in. Then they bring him off his flight and we'll get to see him when he comes in and they're going to have some kind of a ceremony for them. But I'm not exactly sure whether it's today or tomorrow night, I mean, or Sunday. So, you know, we're still waiting to find out that.
SUSAN ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, how -- you've been excited for weeks, especially with the news that he was coming home. Now, finally, we have some details what's going through everyone's mind.
YOUNG: Everybody is just really excited about seeing him. At this point, we just want to see him and be able talk with him on a one-to-one basis and see just how he really is doing and how everything is for him. We're more concerned with, you know, what he's been through and what his mental well-being is right now and his health and all that than anything else.
I think he's doing good. And I believe he's strong enough that he's all right. I don't believe -- the days, they weren't that long -- I mean, many days, but you know, he went through some tough times. We just want to make sure he's OK from all that.
CANDIOTTI: Do you know whether -- how many POWs will be there at this meet and greet and ceremony?
YOUNG: No, ma'am but I assume, the way they're telling me, I assume that all of them will be there. You know, I could be wrong. I'm just, you know, shooting from the hip right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from the family, Mr. Young?
YOUNG: The whole family's going, all his brothers and sisters and the spouses are going. No little children, no babies, thank goodness. But I shouldn't say that. I love my grandchildren, I wouldn't take anything from them but they're a little tough when you get them all in a compact area.
CANDIOTTI: Along with the family meeting him, do you expect any other dignitaries to be at the reception, as well?
YOUNG: They haven't told me about any dignitaries being there, other than the fact that they're going to have a -- some kind of a little thing when they get off the plane. A general is supposed to talk to them. And then, afterwards, I think they're going to have some kind of a ceremony. I'm not even sure. They have not detailed any of that to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know if you'll have any quality alone time alone, time with your son?
YOUNG: Yes, we will. After the -- I understand that after we have the ceremony and they present whatever awards they're going to present or whatever they're going to do -- I'm not exactly sure what's going to take place here, but after they get through with it, we're supposed to spend time with him at Fort Hood, at some kind of locations they have within the fort area itself.
CANDIOTTI: Do you know how much time you'll be able to spend with him exactly and then coming home?
YOUNG: I don't know about him coming home. Nobody's ever told us whether he's coming home with us whether they're going to keep him awhile and send him home later. I just don't have any idea right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't know how long you'll be at Fort Hood?
YOUNG: No, I don't.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't have any return plans?
YOUNG: Don't have anything. It's kind of up in the air right now. Wes can tell you a little bit about the plans that we have, the itinerary that he has once he comes home, if you'd like to talk to him right now. He'd probably answer some of those questions for you, as best we can, without, you know, the detailed information that we need from the Army.
CANDIOTTI: Can we ask a couple of catch-up questions first...
YOUNG: Sure.
CANDIOTTI: ... because a couple things happened since the last time we spoke.
First thing was, we had an opportunity to see your son arrive in Germany at the air base...
YOUNG: Right.
CANDIOTTI: ... and walk to that bus along with all the other POWs and other casualties. Even saw his guitar brought onto the bus. YOUNG: I don't see how he got that guitar. I know he left -- I thought he left that behind with him in Kuwait, whenever they was, you know, put into operations, but apparently, they got it to him somehow. That was remarkable to me, seeing somebody carry that guitar out of there. He's kind of -- he's got a close relationship with the guitar, even if other people don't like him to have it.
CANDIOTTI: Self-taught, I understand?
YOUNG: Yes, ma'am, self-taught. He taught himself to play the guitar and play the piano and he taught himself, when he was in high school, to paint. He got things from the library down there that taught watercolor painting and oil painting and he did a few things that turned out fairly well.
CANDIOTTI: And also, since we last visited with you, we had an opportunity to learn more details about how he was able -- how he was rescued along with the others. We learned among other things, that his fellow pilot, David Williams, stuck his head out the window of a building and said, "I'm an American."
This, with some other things leading up to that point. What have you learned about that and what do you think about that?
YOUNG: Well, I learned that it was kind of a, maybe a fluke situation, where they were looking for them, probably had been looking for them all along, but the -- I don't think they really had any detailed information as to where they were.
And then they had an Iraqi informant come out, I don't know whether he's civilian or with the military there, but they came out and told him that they had American prisoners there.
From what I understand, everybody that held them as prisoners, they got shifted around from one place to another and everybody that held them really didn't want to hold them, because they was afraid of the repercussions from the Americans when they found them. They were kind of worried about that.
They didn't know what kind of treatment that they'd receive when they found they had American POWs so they were afraid to turn them over yet, so everybody tried to get rid of them to somebody else. And then, at last, you know, we had somebody that came out and detailed.
But he said the treatment came better to him as time went on. He was treated very harshly at first. But then, later on, as he was with other elements, they treated him fairly well.
O'BRIEN: All right. We have been listening to Ronald Young Sr., from Lithia Springs, Georgia. You also heard Susan Candiotti, our correspondent there on the scene. Anxiously anticipating the return of his son, Ronald Young Jr., Apache helicopter pilot, who was a prisoner of war, is now a free person, is headed back toward Texas, carrying a six-string, no doubt singing a probably happy tune for the remainder of the POWs in that group. Ronald Young Sr. didn't know much about dignitaries that are going to be in Texas. But we do, and Kyra will take it way from there.
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: That's the keyword, dignitaries, will they be there or will they...?
O'BRIEN: With a capital "D."
PHILLIPS: We're going to go to Suzanne Malveaux. She live with the latest on that from Crawford, Texas.
What do you know, Suzanne. Could there possibly be a special appearance along with these POWs?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX: Well, you never know. It's always possible. What we have been told by a White House spokeswoman months ago is that the president is scheduled to go to Fort Hood, Texas, on Sunday. He's going to be attending a church service there.
We don't know whether or not he's going to be visiting with the POWs, but we have to tell you that it was in January, the last time that he went, that he visited with the soldiers, with the troops. He had lunch with them. He made remarks about the status of the situation in Iraq.
So we'll just all kind of have to wait and see on that, but no official word from the White House on whether or not he's going to see those soldiers.
We have also been told, as well, there's reaction coming from the White House now on developments out of North Korea, some inflammatory remarks that were made that it's taking just one step closer to developing its nuclear weapons program.
As you know, talks scheduled between North Korea, China and U.S. officials just next week. Well, those talks may be in jeopardy because of some of those remarks. A White House spokesman, Claire Buchanan saying that they are consulting now with their allies -- that would be South Korea, Japan and China -- to see what to do next. But they will make some sort of decision on whether those talks will move forward.
But it was earlier today that a senior administration official told CNN that it was insulting, that they felt that perhaps this was South Korea's chance to try to negotiate to get something out of these talks. This is something the administration, of course, has put in a lot of political capital and China has come around that, saying yes, it would go ahead and be a participant in these talks.
For a long time South Korea was demanding that it have one on one discussions with the Bush administration. Well, the president and aides refusing to do that. They say this is a problem, of course, with South Korea and the whole region, not just with the United States. And moving forward with developing its nuclear weapons program. So we'll have to see how that develops, as well, over the weekend -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. It's going to be a busy weekend. Suzanne Malveaux, live in Crawford, Texas, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Uncertain>
